Race-track appliance.



N0 MODEL.

PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904. R. R. LOGAN.

RAGE TRACK APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1903.

4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LA Amm/frs me owns pawns co. moro-uwe, wksnmmom n c UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OEETCE.

RACE-TRACK APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,148, dated March 22, 1904.

Application iiled August Z5, 1903.

f T all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT REs'rALRIe Lo- GAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city and county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Race-Track Appliances, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to mechanism for determining with greater accuracy than has heretofore been customary the speed of races and also to determine with unvarying accuracy the exact positions occupied by the contestants at the finish.

For the purpose of describing my invention I will refer throughout to the foot-race known as the one-liundred-yards dash, which is typical of the subject-matter of my invention. The trials and finals in the one-hundredyards dash are usually run on a track somewhat longer than one hundred yards and over a straight course. There are ordinarily four contestants. In order that these four contestants shall run an equal distance, four lanes are made down the track of equal width by the use of cord or string supported on standards placed at long intervals apart. The race is commenced by the firing of a pistol, and a timekeeper allows his stop watch to commence indicating the seconds. As these stopwatches are made they measure only fifths of seconds, and as the time for running the race is usually about ten seconds each fifth of a second represents the distance of two yards. It thus appears that if a contestant runs the race in the ofcial time of nine and three-fifths seconds and another contestant mine only who breaks the cord, the second judge receives the duty of determining who Serial No. 170,683. (No model.)

ran second, the third judge who ran third, and the fourth judge who ran fourth. lt frequently happens that the contestants cross the finish-line so closely together that it is possible only to determine who linished the iirst. The iirst man breaking the string is a matter readily determinable; but if the second and third at the iinish cross the line only a half inch apart it is almost impossible for the judges to come to a satisfactory decision. My invention is designed to make this matter absolutely indisputable.

Generally speaking, the underlying' idea of my invention consist-s in providing a goal corresponding to the finish of the course, the said goal being adjustable, so that it may be used on any track, and instead of providing one tape, to be broken by the runner who linishes iirst, l provide individual tapes adapted to break an electric circuit for each contestant. The breaking or removal of such tapes ruptures the electric circuit and registers the exact time of the finish for each contestant, and consequently the order in which the line is crossed by each contestant. The time-clock which I employ is one that may readily be obtained and which registers hundredths of seconds or smaller units, as desired.

Figure l of my drawings is a front view of the goal, which l set up at the finish-line. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, and Fig. 3 a side view thereof. Fig. 4C shows the electric circuits; Fig. 5, the starting device; Fig. 6, the mechanism for holding the tape; Fig. 7, a face view thereof; Fig. 8 a side view of the adjusting' mechanism for the tape-holding device, and Fig. 9 the adjusting mechanism of the top of the goal.

Tn the drawings, (t designates the two end posts of the goal, which is erected over the finish-line. This goal is shown to be adjustable sidewise by means of slots and screws A, adjustably connected to the top cross-bar Z) of the goal, in order to accommodate it to different widths of track. Three vertical posts c are adjustably connected to the top cross-bar of the goal Z), so as to obtain equal widths for the various lanes in tracks of different widths. This adjustment is made by means of screws O. At the side of the posts (t and at each side of the intermediate posts c is a clamp-switch TOO (Z, adapted to be adjusted vertically by means of the screws D, so as to be accommodated to 'the heights of the various runners, if desired.

Between two or' these clamps or sockets CZ is stretched the tape e, which is made adjustable lengthwise, so that when the goal-posts are on a broad track or on a narrow track they will serve their purpose. These tapes e are electric conductors and are provided at each end with a projection f, adapted to engage with the two conducting-sections of the clamp Z on the post. The two conducting-sections of each clamp Z are insulated from each other and are connected by suitable wires running upward over the goal to the electric circuit, as shown in Fig. 4. This circuit consists of the two wires l and 2, running down the side of the iield, say, one hundred yards in length, and one of these wires, l, is shown in the diagram, Fig. 4, to be connected with four branch circuits 3, 4, 5, and 6, passing, respectively, through the time-clocks 7, batteries 8, and thence through the respective terminals of the respective goals and the tapes connecting such terminals.

Fig. 5 shows an illustrative view of a starting device, consisting of the usual switch g, connected with pistol It. As the switch g is depressed and the pistol is fired and the runners start down the track the current is closed at g, Fig. 4, throughout the entire circuit. As soon as a runner has reached the finishline of the course he runs against the tape e, which is easily disengaged from the clamp or socket (Z. The current being thus interrupted at that particular point will stop the electric time-clock 7 of that particular circuit. As each successive runner breaks his tape his particular clock will indicate the exact time of his rimning, and therefore also his exact position in the race.

Ot' course instead of four clocks one timeclock may be employed to register only the time of the fastest runner. A branch circuit in series with the main circuit may readily be arranged in connection with the tapes and a printing mechanism of suitable construction in such a manner that the iirst tape broken will stop the clock and at the same time through the branch circuit print its mark on a moving strip of paper. rI`he main circuit being thus absolutely broken the remaining three tapes will operate only on the branch circuit by printing their respective marks on the moving strip of paper. In this manner, as well as when four time-clocks are employed, the exact time of the fastest runner, as well as the position of the other runners in a race, will be accurately and indisputably determined. Instead of using four batteries and four branch circuits I may use one battery in the main circuit; nor do I wish to be limited to the particular construction of the various parts of my device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isj l. In mechanism for race-tracks et' the character described, the combination oi a plurality of independent tapes at the iinish-line, and an electric circuit constituted by a plurality of branch circuits connected with the tapes, each tape when struck by a racer being adapted to interrupt the current only in the respective branch circuit.

2. In mechanism for race-tracks of the character described, an electric circuit constituted by a plurality of branch circuits, a goal over the finish-line, and a plurality of tapes on such goal adjustable vertically independently of each other, each of such tapes having electrical connection in a dii'lerent branch oiI said electric circuit.

3. In a race-timing device, the combination of a plurality of indicating devices for the several contestants, mechanism for starting said indicating devices simultaneously, and individual iinish devices for each of said indicating devices.

4. In a race-timing device, the combination of a plurality oit' indicating devices for the several contestants, mechanism lor starting said indicating devicesv simultaneously, and individual devices adapted to be actuated by each of the contestants at the iinish and to control the respective indicating devices.

In a race-timing device, the combination of a plurality of electrically-controlled indicating devices, one for each oi the contestants, a circuit-closer for starting all o'tl said indicating devices simultaneously, and individual interrupters, each in circuit with one of said indicating devices and adapted to be actuated by the respective contestant at the finish.

6. In a racc-timing device, the con'ibination with a plurality ot electrically-actuated indicating' devices, one for each contestant, a plurality of interrupters located at the iinish, one for each contestant and adapted to be actuated by the contestants, a circuit having branches or shunts, each containing' one ot' said indicating devices and one of said interrupters, and a circuit-closer common to all of said branches or shunts.

7. In a race-timing device, the combination of a plurality of indicating devices for the several contestants, mechanism for starting said indicating devices simultaneously and at the same time giving a starting-signal, and individual finish devices for each of said indicating devices.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence oli two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT RESTALRIG LOGAN.

Vitnesses:

ARTHUR F. GoTTHoLD, Moses ELY.

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